Star Trek: Icarus
by NerdForWords11
Summary: Sebastian Andrew Janeway, the eldest Ensign on board the most state-of-the-art Voyager in Starfleet History gets carried off to the Delta Quadrant to stage a mission to rescue an important member of the Open Sky group fighting the Akritirians that has been lost in the underbelly of the planet. He deals with living under the shadow of his mother, Admiral Kathryn Janeway.
1. Chapter 1: Kobayashi Maru

**Chapter One**

 **Kobayashi Maru**

 _ **Star Date - 2443**_

 _ **Lieutenant Admiral Janeway's Quarters**_

"You look so handsome, son." Kathryn Janeway fixed the lapel of Sebastian's green Starfleet uniform, adjusting his pin ever so slightly. He looked away out of respect, to suppress the urge of rolling his eyes at his mother's affection. Janeway caught his eyes, her lips pursed, a bit smug, but a hint of a smile as always, "Ensign Sebastian Andrew Janeway, I'm so proud of you. You finally made it."

"Yes, mother. I made it." Sebastian adjusted the sleeve, rolled it up a notch. His mother gingerly rolled it back down. His nostrils flared, "Please, mom, leave it alone. This is embarrassing enough, having to join Starfleet as Ensign at 29. I'm the oldest ensign and to top it all of, I have you to thank for this, mother dearest. Lieutenant Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Sebastian Andrew Janeway. This is perfect. You are setting us up for disaster on the Icarus. You know you are."

"Absolutely not, son. I would never. At the very least you made the helm, Bastian, don't be so ungrateful to the Janeway name." Her eyes averted his. He couldn't tell if it was pride or scorn for the lack of a husband. Duty overtook him somewhere in the stars and they never spoke of him. "I went to bat for you in front of the entire Command. Picard was there. He spoke up for you but what you did was reprehensible."

Bastian steadied his breath, "You're talking about the simulation again. Of course you are! Of course!" His lip quivered a bit, "Well, you let the BORG in on our little secret. You let Seven of Nine out of the Collective and now what did you expect? You blew this for me, Lieutenant! You!" He plopped down one of the couches and traced his eyebrow with his finger.

"You are not listening to what I am saying, Bastian. You never listen to me and this is why you get into trouble. Explain to me what happened when you ran the Kobayashi Maru simulation, Ensign." He remained silent, "I'm talking to you as your mother, not as Admiral Janeway. As your mother. What you did was absolutely disgusting. It was disgraceful and that is why you earned your rank. This is exactly why the Vulcans do not trust us. What did you do when you had your chance at the helm? Explain it to me."

"You read the report." He said through clenched teeth.

"You engaged with the Borg and released - what was it? - A tachyon beam, Ensign that attracted the Borgs to the Vulcan homeworld and that is why you are Counselor Ensign Janeway." Her lips trembled with annoyance at her son. Pulling stunts, constantly calling on the name of his mother when he needed help. Fights at bars. Rowdy seedy undergrounds. Avoiding curfew. Getting into fights. Bastian fought the tears that formed at his eyes, avoiding her gaze. He watched as she sat down at her vanity mirror and began to pick up the maroon tendrils that were left so sloppily at her shoulders. She could not even meet his eyes.

"You think that I don't know what you're doing but you're so wrong, mother." He said before biting his lower lip. Lowering his eyes once again. "Lareil came to your quarters that night crying. I know she did. Because of Tuvok. Just admit it." He stood up, hands at the hips, similar posture. Admiral Janeway continued to work on her bun, her eyes never moving from the task at hand. Bastian lifted his chin and made his way behind his mother, looking at her reflection.

"I don't want to talk about Tuvok, Bastian. Not right now. Explain to me your mission on Icarus. Please, for my sanity." Another pin made the bun tighter.

"I don't want to, Mother," He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I want to talk about what happened that Lareil Narim Shunahd came to your quarters crying after what I did on that simulation. Do you carry guilt, Mother?" His neck cocked to the side but not before Admiral Janeway stood up and slammed her hand on the vanity mirror.

"I SAID ENOUGH, BASTIAN! YOU ARE PESTERING ME WHILE I AM TRYING TO ENJOY YOUR CEREMONY. DO YOU FORGET THAT I AM LOSING MY SON? MY ONLY SON?!" Her voice was loud at basso profundo. Bastian readied himself for a slap but he watched his mother melt right before his eyes as she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him on the temple by his brow. "You are my son and I love you. If you want my advice, I can give it to you, however, you must take everything I say with a grain of salt."

"During the Kobayashi Maru Simulation, I was the weapons officer and Lareil was the Commander of the vessel U.S.S. Collins which had a very similar to design to Voyager. A group of Cardassian Maquis were hailing a distress signal close to the Vulcan homeworld. I then suggested that it could potentially be a threat but Ensign…"

"Well now she has been promoted to Doctor the Icarus because of your mistake." Her eyebrows raised to see what he would do but all he was left with was his mouth wide open. Shock. Confusion. He walked over to her bed, sat down, stared at his boots for a moment before looking back up at his mother.

"How? Mother, she's going to go crazy and I'm not going to be responsible for her." He shrugged his shoulders then crossed his right knee over his left, his foot flexing back and forth to suppress his anxiety. "Mother, you did this. You know you did this. What happened when she spoke to you?"

"Ensign Counselor Linguistics Officer of the U.S.S. Icarus, I am speaking to you as Lieutenant Admiral Kathryn Janeway now. Before we go to this ceremony and you blow up that ship when you get to your post, explain to me what happened when you ran the simulation so I don't have to send a rescue mission to find you in the Delta Quadrant myself, you fool."

"Oh, mother, you didn't." Sebastian's eyebrows flared up, a hint of a smile. He licked his lips for a moment, trying to hide the giggle in his eyes. Sebastian folded his hands. "Okay, so he were are. The Cardassians sent out a flair over the Vulcan homeworld, with a Maquis insignia. As Lareil, Ms. Vulcan Homeschool Over Sensitive, was the Commander in Chief, she suggested that we hail them on the viewing screen."

"And who did you see on the viewing screen?"

"A Cardassian by the name of Prylem Zaatrike Anghobar. When Doctor Shunahd asked them to identify themselves, they said they were part of the resistance but not hostile. Lieutenant Commander Wildman of U.S.S. Arbor suggested that it was also a trap and that she could not tell the origin of the species to which Doctor Shunahd replied 'Bajoran', but I knew something was wrong so I suggested we ask them to lower their shields to which that Klingon idiot-"

"Bastian, not now, please. Continue. What did Lareil do when she was sitting in the Captain's seat?" Admiral Janeway continued to fix her hair, standing up while her son averted his gaze. She stuck a pin in her mouth and motioned him to hurry up with another hand, "Please, we don't have all day for your extravagant stories, Ensign."

"It was a woman, mother. Prylem Zaatrike Anghobar was a woman and she had a certain tone that reminded me of the other Cardassian woman from your own log so I suggested to Prylem that if she didn't tell the weapons officer aboard the Maquis vessel that we would have to fire to which Lareil replied that it wasn't necessary to engage the enemy. Then another man on the ship came on the viewing screen by the name of Guhlin Jarab Ahmat."

"Guhlin sounds a lot like Glin, doesn't it?" Admiral Janeway traced her nose with her index finger and she puckered her lips while applying a dark lip. It was typical but still extraordinarily beautiful. Almost otherworldly even for a human. "So Doctor Shunahd was outranked by Lieutenant Wildman because of what?"

"Well, Ahmat threatened to shoot to protect the Vulcan homeland and so I opened fired a Level One Photon Phaser on the port side to which he replied that one of the Borg who was released as a Cardassian drone from the Collective had returned to the Hive to inform the Borg Queen of the location of the Vulcan Homeworld and they were sending a scouting ship. Doctor Shunahd was in such a state of panic that she needed to have a seat to collect her… thoughts and she slammed her foot once or twice and stood up and said that she would destroy the Vulcan homeworld herself before she let it be claimed by the Borg."

"Intolerance of other species considering all that Seven of Nine has done for Starfleet. Some of our best Lieutenants are Borg drones leading the resistance against the Borg Queen. Shameful of her, I suppose." Kathryn Janeway dusted herself off once more and motioned for him to stand. She licked her thumb and traced it over his eyebrow. His head was bald, a small bit of a beard. Young but wise beyond his age had always been her assessment. Maybe a smart ass, too. "You must have a hard time dealing with your stress, son. Your eyebrows are all mangled like a Cardassian. Come… We're going to be late. We can walk the long way, I don't mind offering you my advice as an Admiral."

"What a special day, Lieutenant Admiral. I could not be any prouder to bear the Janeway name for your sake." Janeway linked arms with him as the doors to her bed chambers slid open and they walked through her new living quarters. Twice the size of any Commander in Starfleet. "Imagine all the stress that I have to deal with to carry your name, mom. It's embarrassing to the core."

"Don't be embarrassed by greatness. It is a great trait to have." And as she poured a cup of hot cocoa, she leaned up against the island in her eating quarters. "So, please, explain this faster because I not only did I have to go to bat for you so did Picard and your aunt, Seven." Her eyebrows quirked up as she set it against her lips but Bastian just stood there, scratching his head.

"So that's when I let Lieutenant Wildman take over for a little and she suggested that we lead an away team to stop the beam that they were trying to build over the Vulcan homeworld to which Ms. Lareil Narim Shuhnad declared that we were in Code Red and that everyone was to man their battle stations while the away team dealt with the rebel Maquis who were building a level 3 Photonic Beam with Plasma capabilities and they were going to drill into the Vulcan core. What's interesting mother is that Lareil Narim Shuhnad doesn't want to admit her own Vulcan ancestry, I caught it in her voice and the curve right between her brows."

"Congratulations, everyone in Starfleet knew of her Klingon ancestry. Moving on. So, what did you do?" This was boring, she set her coffee down and walked around the island that was there, "I will tell you Ensign Janeway exactly what you did. You decided to hail a Borg ship - didn't you? - by hitting the Maquis rig with a tachyon beam that shared the same frequency as a Cardassian photonic beam didn't you?"

All he could do was nod. She continued, "I read the reports, my darling boy. You can't fool me."

"Yes, Lieutenant, I hailed a Borg scouting ship and they began their speech: 'We are the Collective', we will begin to assimilate and finally Lareil, with her shoulder length hair, traced her front bang like so and said that if they did not stand down, she would destroy the Vulcan homeworld and she asked me to fire a warning beam, but by this time, Chief Engineer Morkan'a said we had taken too great of a hit by the Cardassian's who had called in for reinforcement Maquis. We were out numbered on all sides of the ship, mother. I don't know what else I was supposed to do. What could I have done better?"

"Well, first of all, you fool, you should never have hailed for the Borg scouting ships because then what happened?" Kathryn walked back around the island, picked up her steaming cup of hot cocoa, blew it once more and began to listen with intent, her eyes searching for her son's lies.

"I let the Borg destroy the Vulcan homeworld." He lowered his head, bit his lip for a moment, and looked away.

"Exactly. That's exactly what you did Ensign Janeway. You blew up the Vulcan homeworld and that is why she is Lieutenant Shuhnad to you."

Bastian stamped his foot, then placed both of his hands directly on his hip. "No, Mother. No she isn't! I will not be working in Sick Bay with that… that… FREAK!"

"Lower. Your. Voice. Ensign Sebastian Andrew Janeway. You do not have privilege in Starfleet. You have nothing. You have your hard work as a Counselor. Perhaps you struggle with your own sensitivities as having a mother who returned her crew in 25 years… give or take."

"So, then, tell me. Who is this captain of Icarus? I'm just dying to know." Bastian closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the sweat beginning to build at his brow. Regret. His lip quivered for a moment.

"You're not going to like it, Bastian."

"Just tell me."

"Romul of Twelve."

"A BORG?! They're letting me on a ship with the first BORG General of Starfleet? And they're sending us to help the Akritirians?!" Bastian's eyes met directly with his mother's own gaze. They both raised their brows, she licked her lips while she continued to sip on her hot cocoa. "Seriously, mom?! This is because of what I did to Lareil?! Is that what they're trying to say about our family?"

"I did good, didn't I?" Kathryn smirked, then took another sip. "75 Years in the Delta Quadrant can be a little lonely at night. We better get going, I don't want anyone to think that you have privileges."

"Oh, mother..." And she set down her cup right on the table in the living quarters, walked out of the tunnel into the Starfleet Courtyard.


	2. Chapter 2: The Courtyard

**Chapter Two**

 **The Courtyard**

 _ **Star Date - 2443**_

 _ **Starfleet Courtyard**_

The Starfleet Courtyard was alight with thousands of new cadets making their way to the launching site of the U.S.S Icarus. Out of the corner of his eye, Bastian measured how far apart his right leg stood from his mother's left leg as they both lowered their shoulders and began walking through the grounds. Lost in their own their own thoughts, they avoided the gaze of all the passersby as they continued their conversation.

"Mother, you were joking before about Romul of Twelve being the Commander in Chief of Icarus, right? That was humor? Or was that your sick, twisted mind trying to sniff out a rat for Aunt Seven?" Bastian said this under his breath but the tessitura of the tenor in his voice carried this question across the park. With his head bowed while lost in thought, he lifted it up, trying to not cross his arms against his chest.

"Romul of Twelve has been an excellent Lieutenant and has worked to prove himself to Starfleet, you should know as the Chief Expert on the Prime Directive, Ensign. This is not about grudges, this is about building a better community in the Delta Quadrant and whatever the Akritirians have done now will alert the Borg and they will be decimated. You must help to negotiate for peace instead of trying to blow everyone sky high."

"Yes, Mother. It is a rescue mission to help a Starfleet renegade that infiltrated the Open Sky group but is being held in the underbelly of the planet. Does this mean I get to lead the away mission in order to find this Starfleet officer?" Kathryn Janeway stopped dead in her tracks, looked at him square in the eye and said nothing. "I take that as a no."

"If you are Ensign at the helm, do you think that Romul of Twelve will allow you to lead the away mission down to that blasphemous CHUTE so that my son could be killed on his first away mission from home, considering that all your aunt, Seven of Nine did for the Borg people? For the Cardassians? For all that my crew did for Starfleet by tapping into Chronos Technology that is far too dangerous for us to even experiment with?"

"I would hope not Mother, but I would be willing to for Starfleet." A Talaxian cadet crossed their path but scurried through the other side of the walkway. Kathryn managed a wave but all Sebastian could manage was a look of disgust. "What? What is your problem with the Talaxians? Neelix, our personal chef is Talaxian."

"They're just so… hairy?" Admiral Janeway almost allowed herself to chortle but she sneered at her son as they continued to walk. "Mother, my anxiety is spiking over this. For Aunt Seven and Uncle Chakotay. They've been gone on their away mission for twelve years now. When are they set to return home?"

"Well, you're going to be dealing with an anxious people. The Akritirians have been proclaiming peace but something must be happening on that planet to alert the Borg, otherwise, why would there be a Borg Commander in Chief of a brand new Starfleet vessel?"

"Admiral, I wouldn't like to jump to conclusions on this, but perhaps it has to do with the Open Sky rebellion. There could be a Borg drone working from the inside of The Chute that is releasing out information to the Collective." Bastian and Kathryn made eye contact, their pace quickened.

"In addition, Lieutenant Admiral, we're two hours away from the ceremony so why are you walking at such a fast pace? You must be grieving me already, mother." And with that, Kathryn stopped dead in her tracks and faced her son, the trace of a tear about to smudge her lash.

"How can I grieve something that I know I can never lose? The joy of watching my only son take helm as Ensign Sebastian Janeway, Chief Counselor Linguistics Officer taking his rightful spot as part of the Starfleet's best. Your first away mission. Of course, I'm the proudest mother there is. Come, turn this corner otherwise you'll knock into that Ferengi wench." In one fell swoop, they pivoted around a corner and kept their pace bright.

"Mother, my fear is that once the Akritirians find that their is a Borg Commander at helm, they will immediately think this is an act of terror. Per the Prime Directive, we cannot interfere before we assess the planet and the dangers of potential Borg threats in the area." Janeway nodded haphazardly, nodding and waving, scowling. She made eye contact with her son for a moment who looked away as they kept on walking through the courtyard, "Who else is on this team?"

"Part of the ceremony is that you must meet the other officers for the first time to establish rank. How many times did you fail Kobayashi Maru?" She quirked her head towards him and he crossed his arms against his chest. "Lower. Your. Arms. I'm speaking to you. How many times did you fail, Ensign Janeway?"

"Eight times. I failed eight times. Three of them were as Commander in Chief, two of them as Lieutenant, one of them as Ensign, and twice as Chief Engineer. So, yes, mother, mea culpa, I failed it eight times but I'm so excited to be joining the crew of Icarus with the first Borg Commander in Chief, this is going to be delightful, I bet." The sarcasm oozed from his mouth to which his mother responded with a faint snicker.

"You cannot leave the helm, no matter what you do. You stay there. Is that clear, Sebastian?" Bastian averted her gaze once more. "I said, is that clear, Ensign? For your family at Starfleet Command. You know more about the Prime Directive than any of the other cadets. You were enrolled into this Academy at the age of six in our junior cadets program. Whatever Romul of Twelve says, goes. And whatever Lieutenant Shunahd says goes. Understood?"

"Clear, Lieutenant. Can I ask you another question, mom?"

"Yes, my son?"

"It might be the same question that I asked you before."

"Why are we over an hour early?"

"You are not going to like this part, Bastian." Kathryn avoided his eyes, waved to a small Vulcan child in Starfleet uniform before Bastian's hazel green eyes flew open with utter rage. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything. You have to make this… right?"

"LIEUTENANT SHUNAHD THINKS I REPROGRAMMED KOBAYASHI MARU TO UPSTAGE HER?! MOTHER! YOU'RE ALREADY SETTING ME UP FOR EVERYONE TO HATE ME! YOU'RE ALREADY SETTING ME UP TO BE THE FIRST TARGET! YOU SEE WHAT YOU DO?! I think I'm going to be sick." And in one fell swoop, he grabbed his stomach and vomited all over the pavement of the grounds.

"I remember the first time that I wretched before my first Starfleet mission," she said, while handing him a metallic blue cylinder. He opened his mouth, hit the top of the cylinder and it released a chocolate mint flavor that made him cringe. "I don't want this to be a human versus Vulcan fight on the Icarus and especially not because of you, so you are going to wait here while I walk up to the chambers and she comes down."

"Mother, I won't be seen with her! I'm sorry, I can't. That elven creature of the forest crawls under my skin and I don't want to have to be responsible for her. She's going to lose her mind in outer space and I'm supposed to help her through it? After how she disgraced me in front of Starfleet Command? Is she upset about being a doctor and having to deal with the sick? Is this payback? I think I'm seeing stars already."

"I think you would call that overdramatic, Ensign." Another voice from across the way called out. Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he spotted his nemesis in Starfleet since they he was twelve and she was one million. In his mind, she was one million, probably since she was about fifty. Sebastian eyed Kathryn with burning embers and all she did was smile warmly, her arms extended as if to hug. Lareil tilted her head to the side and took Admiral Janeway's hands in hers. Bowed her head in reverence, "Hello, Lieutenant Admiral Janeway, thank you for escorting me from my quarters to the launch site."

"Lieutenant Commander Shunahd, how are you this morning?" Sebastian scoffed as they kept their walk, much slower this time. He averted all of their gazes and kept his head bowed low, hands behind his back. "I hope you rested well for your flight to the Delta Quadrant. There is a lot of buzz going on around these parts about Icarus' departure in Akritirian territory especially with Romul of Twelve at the helm. What do you make of him?"

"He seems… diplomatic enough." The driest of replies. Bastian snickered to the side but not before Lareil could make eye contact. Her eyes were strikingly blue, her complexion like the hot cocoa his mother drank just minutes before, her hair shoulder length held loosely by pins. However, her uniform was not as green as Sebastian's own tight suit. Instead, it was a navy blue bodice that flowed into a long dress with two slits at either side, held by Starfleet issued leggings and boots. "I suppose. What do you make of him, Ensign Janeway?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant, and I would rather not say." Sebastian hissed through his teeth.

"You can speak candidly with me, Ensign. I am your superior officer." Lareil bowed her head low as they continued to walk, taking a different route that was not as occupied as the previous one.

"I would rather not say because of my aunt, Seven of Nine. I love her and she is Borg. I'm in a conundrum…" All Bastian longed for was for a singular moment where he could roll his eyes and use all the sarcasm that he could muster. However, upon seeing his mother freely strolling in front of them while they spoke about their mission, he turned to look at Lareil, "I did not mean to disrespect you during Koboyashi Maru. I thought what I did was the best for the Vulcan people."

"By destroying the Vulcan homeworld?"

"By trying to prove something to my mother. I've failed the Kobayashi Maru simulation eight times. You failed twice and once was on my watch. In a way, I suppose I failed you as my superior."

Lareil stopped in her tracks, searched within his eyes, shifted her attention back to their walk, "Very interesting how you changed your mind about me."

"That's not fair, Lieutenant. You can't just read someone's mind like that. I'm guarded because of my mother."

"I didn't read your mind. You apologized. Or as you humans say, 'sucking up'? That I understood through logic not through telepathy. Humans are such silly creatures, always so paranoid. Did you think that perhaps I wanted to be the Doctor of the crew? So that I can learn how to practice my own sensitivities to the human condition?"

"No, I just think your half Klingon blood gives you a bad temper." Kathryn stopped in her tracks, glanced over her shoulders upon hearing the tone of her son's voice. It was harsh, but always on the brink of an apology, as if the words he said would directly cause harm. His temper, his stubbornness, and his sensitive demeanor made his voice change in tone, "There's nothing wrong with being a Klingon-Vulcan. I just worry about a Borg Commander in Chief on the Icarus. For my aunt, Seven of Nine. Her and my uncle Chakotay have been in the Delta Quadrant for at least seven years. What do you make of Romul of Twelve? I've only heard of him."

At this, Janeway slowed her pace as the two new Starfleet cadets met up with the Lieutenant Admiral. "Yes, Lareil, tell me, what is your assessment of Romul of Twelve?"

"Romul of Twelve seems competent enough to command the Icarus. He served on two Starships, once as Chief Engineer on the U.S.S. Oceania and then as Lieutenant Weapons Officer of the U.S.S. Titan, so he's more than capable. However, what strikes me funny, though, Lieutenant Admiral - if I can speak candidly, of course," to which Janeway nodded while Sebastian checked behind him for any onlookers. "A Romulan Borg drone in command of a Starfleet ship to the Akritirian homeworld, which is already in chaos as it is, does not sound like the best plan on behalf of Starfleet Command. This sounds like we are already setting ourselves up for disaster."

"Well, per the new Amendment to the Prime Directive: Chapter I, Article IX, Paragraph II states 'All Borg Drones, escaped from the Collective, are granted political asylum and refuge without question. Should they choose, they will be assimilated into regular society as merchants, tradesman, wives, and husbands. Any area populated by Borg Drones released from the collective that is ¼ of the population at large will have a designated Borg Consulate within a 100 mile radius." Sebastian began to ramble a little to which Lareil gazed over to him, a little fondly. "I'm sorry for what happened in Kobayashi Maru. I hope that we can at the very least learn to be tolerable of one another."

"I think what you're asking for is friendship, son." Kathryn said as they began to walk with a little more urgency in their step.

"Tolerable is much better for me, friendship is something earned. Ensign Janeway needs to practice his tolerance to my people otherwise I would not have made such a rash judgement against him." Lareil said, bitingly.

"Fair enough, Lieutenant Shunahd. I will follow your lead as Counselor Ensign Chief Linguistics Officer of the U.S.S Icarus." With a bow of his head they passed another Talaxian, a Romulan, a Ferengi, all on their way towards the launching site.

"Who gave you that title? You were simply 'Ensign Janeway' the last time I checked your record," Lareil made a suspicious face as she checked Admiral Janeway, who simply looked away, "I suppose I will have to update that once we enter the Icarus. I did not know that you were promoted to such a high level position even for an Ensign."

"I didn't know either."

"Lieutenant General Picard made the decision, I tried to overrule him, Lieutenant Shunahd, however, he believed that since Sebastian is the most equipped in Diplomatic Affairs that he would be taking the position as Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer. He could be of great use to you." Kathryn Janeway quirked an intense brow at the Vulcan woman, who just looked the other way. "He could be of great use to you. He is in your charge."

"That's what I was dreading…" Lareil said, stiffening up her spine, tracing the outside of her ear.

"Or, you can say, that's what you were hoping for!" Sebastian said with the hint of a daring smile, the launch site approaching by every step.

"I feel that dread is the most accurate way that I can describe the stinging sensation in my gut," said Lareil with a sneer before she turned back to Kathryn, who watched the two of them stop dead in their tracks.

Every Starfleet cadet had gathered by the launching site. Admiral Janeway stopped as well, turned around to face the two Starfleet cadets, traced her brow with her middle finger and extended her arms out to Sebastian. He shook his head. Instead, with both hands at his side, he placed his right hand on his heart, before saluting his mother. They ignored the tears welling up in their eyes as Janeway turned to Lareil, who simply bowed her head with poise.

"You will never know how proud you have made me, my son. I must join the others at the Starfleet Command Center," she said, before pivoting on her heel and walking away into the distance.

"Are you what you humans call a 'momma's boy'?" Lareil said, quirking her head to the side as she examined Sebastian from head to toe.

"Lieutenant Shunahd, you have no idea. Time to greet the public, you ready?"

"Absolutely not, we walk right past them and we make our way to the Icarus. I have to update the computer with your new access credentials."

"So… you've never wanted to greet your adoring fans?" Sebastian said, straightening his shoulders and folding the sleeves of his Starfleet uniform once, so they just landed right above his wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"Ohh… Nothing."

And with that, they made their way into the crowd of cadets.

* * *

 **Captain's Log - Author Notes**

Sorry I disappeared for a bit, still writing this, have at least another new chapter to post tonight to give you guys some fun reading stuff. Voyager is definitely my favorite season of Star Trek so why not give it my own spin? Keep reviewing, keep checking in and showing love. It's so helpful.

Dan


	3. Chapter 3: Sick Bay

**Chapter 3**

 **Sick Bay**

 _ **Star Date - 2443**_

 _ **Sick Bay**_

The Sick Bay doors of the Icarus opened up to reveal a state-of-the-art medical facility filled with holographic nurses in Starfleet uniform walking about. Four beds lined the center of the room, however, a back wall was filled with circular pods. One of the holographic nurses hit a button at an examination desk and the fifth pod extended to the size of a full grown Klingon warrior. At the far right side of the room, almost pressed into the wall, were shelves filled with vials of medicine.

"You realize that in case of an emergency, this is the first place that's going to be attacked?" Sebastian said dryly as he examined all the vials from a distance. He reached out to touch but the wall glowed a bright green, then blue, finally it crackled a hazy yellow. "Holy moly… what is that shield? That's definitely some kind of biometric tachyon field with a Borg signal. This is definitely setting us up for disaster, I'm about to have a panic attack right here in Sick Bay, Lieutenant Shunahd. Just crack open my heart right now and kill me. Because this is going to be the worst, the absolute worst. Nurse!" He plopped down on one of the beds, folded his arms, while he pouted.

One of the holographic nurses came over with a rectangular tab in her hand, "I will help you, Ensign Janeway. Here, this is to calm the nerves. Simply apply this strip to your neck and it will slow down your racing thoughts. It's called Abilefrien, an all natural remedy from the Talaxian home world." She went to go apply it to his neck but not before looking at the Lieutenant Doctor.

"Ensign Janeway, you're being dramatic. I'm definitely going to update that in your personnel file. A flair for drama as your mother would say. Computer, end holographic simulation." The nurses disappeared in a shimmer of green light but not before making a face at their Lieutenant. "Please don't take that, leave it to someone who needs it more than you. You're acting like a child. I need to update your access code. Stand up, please."

"Fine," he said with a heavy sigh as he stood to his feet, "But, remember, you're not the boss of me."

"I would beg to differ," she said as she typed away. "Computer, give Level 4 Access to Ensign Janeway as Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer Sebastian Andrew Janeway."

"Permission granted."

"I get Level 4 Access because I'm the Counselor? The last I checked I only had a Level 2 and it was still very restricted. I wonder why…" He trailed off as he examined the Abilifrien in his hand, mockingly about to put it on his neck until he made eye contact with the Lieutenant Doctor of Icarus. She extended her hand, he made a face, and walked over to her computer station. "You know this is going to be bad. We're on a ship that's filled with Starfleet Borg infused technology, holographic nurses, and I just got promoted with a Level 4 Access code. What am I walking into, Lieutenant? You can be honest with me."

"Not that honest, I don't think. Once we take flight you have to fall into rank and rank means that I am your commanding officer. You follow my orders and your mother's orders, which means, that no matter what you see happening, you have to be diplomatic. You know the Prime Directive better than anyone and remember that Starfleet is watching us this whole trip. I am responsible to your mother."

"You're responsible to 'thee' Lieutenant Admiral Kathryn Janeway? Because don't ever forget that she's my mother. I've lived with that wretched woman for all of my life. I was one of the youngest cadets accepted into the Junior Academy. So, excuse me for my anxiety, Lieutenant, but I am responsible for my mother's sake as well. And, on top of it all, I'm heading to the Delta Quadrant to help delegate for peace with a Borg Commander in Chief. So, maybe I should take this Abilifrien…"

"Maybe you should," was all she could reply as she continued to type on the computer.

The doors of the Sickbay opened up and in walked a Betazoid with ebon eyes like coal. His hair was of a similar charcoal hue, slicked back. His uniform was similar to Sebastian's except it was a deep brown hue with golden lining on the sleeves and down the pant leg. "Doctor Shunahd. Ensign Janeway."

"I don't believe we've met," was all that Sebastian could muster. Another telepath in space? His thoughts were beginning to race when Lareil's voice cut the silence, "Maybe I do need this Abilifrien. With all of you psychics on board, I'm going to have a huge job here, it seems…"

"Commander Chief Engineer, Ren Emzad, he will also be joining us at the Helm with Admiral Romul of Twelve. He has level 6 Access and is your superior officer. Introduce yourself, Ensign." Lareil said as she continued to type away at the computer.

Sebastian sized him up for a moment before extending his hand towards the Betazoid, "I'm Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer Sebastian Andrew Janeway, Level 4 Access and I report directly to Lieutenant Shunahd. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ren. This is going to be a very interesting flight out of Starfleet command, don't you think? Why is it taking so long?"

Ren shook his hand firmly before setting it down at his side, "Don't people normally call you Bastian?" he asked, "You definitely carry the heir of a Janeway. I admire your mother very much."

"That's a nickname that only members of my family call me," Sebastian responded hastily, feeling his breath deepening and his heart beginning to race, "It's not nice to read people's minds you know. I'm never going to let you do it again. Space is about science so just pretend that I'm a Ferengi, shut your paracortex off, and know that my mind is off limits. Please and thank you."

Ren's eyes blinked rapidly, a devilish smile forming at the edge of his lips, "I'm an empath, not a telepath, Ensign Janeway. Your humor is amusing. I'm ⅓ Betazoid, the other part is human, so fortunately for you, I can't read your mind. However, your personnel file does say that your mother calls you 'Bastian'. You may call me Ren, if it pleases you."

"It does not please me. I will call you Commander Emzad, per my dearest mother's orders." Lareil looked up for a moment then back down at the computer screen, "And per Lieutenant Shunahd's orders as well. How is the warp core doing? Ready for another trip to the Akritirians?"

"Yes, Ensign. Pretty standard warp core but infused with Borg nanotechnology that helps to stop the overcooling process once the deuterium kicks in. We pulled the technology from the Borg drones that sought political refuge and it has actually been working very smoothly." Ren seemed pleased enough with his explanation of the Warp Core between his seven blinks and a bit of a goofier smile. He was definitely in his mid 30's, lithe, and charming. Lareil gazed up at him for a moment while all Sebastian could do was stand with his jaw almost touching the floor.

"That sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. This is literally a suicide mission."

"How so, Ensign? Enlighten me, please," said Ren, his eyes widening with displeasure and the blinking ceased. "Because I spent hours - hours working on that warp core with some of Starfleet's best scientists. With a Level 4 Access as an Ensign Counselor Chief, who doesn't know a lick about science, how is this a suicide mission?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, "I don't take well to sarcasm."

"Why? Because you're allowed to say what's on your mind and I can't?" asked Commander Emzad. Lareil simply typed away, sighing every now and again.

"No, because now I know that you're not allowed to say what's on my heart so you shouldn't." The Commander took a step back, leaned up against the desk that Lareil was typing on and gestured with his arms out as if to say 'continue. Sebastian evened his breath and continued, "What you just told me is that we have a Warpcore capable of Faster than Light Speed travel with dilithium crystals, deuterium, and now Borg nanotechnology, so now in space, we will be leaving a Borg trail in every corner of space. I don't understand how Starfleet would allow this if the Borg is the enemy."

Lareil lifted her head up for the first time, "Ensign, the Borg is not the enemy anymore. The Collective is the enemy. Per the Prime Directive."

"Well people should fear the Collective and the Borg. Equally. A Borg drone starts off as Borg, remember? It is a very long process to get them adjusted to society, just like you Betazoids."

"Indeed. Well, I have to be going. Sorry that launch is taking so long. There's been a problem activating the warp core. Nice meeting you, Ensign. Lieutenant." And with that, the Sickbay doors opened and he was gone into the corridor.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sebastian said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, my fear is that you said something so right." Lareil responded.

Sebastian met her eyes for a moment, snatched the Abilifrien from the side of her desk, and slapped it on his neck. "Yeah, this is going to be terrible."

 **Captain's Log/Author's Notes:** Once again, thanks for reading. At the very least you have two new chapters that were written with so much love for a New Year. Please review if you like, ask questions. Don't really know where this is going but it's fun!

Danny


	4. Chapter 4: Deck Three

**Chapter 4**

 **Deck Three**

 _ **Stardate - 2443**_

 _ **Deck Three**_

"Do you feel more relaxed, Ensign?" Lieutenant Doctor Shunahd asked Sebastian, who simply glared at her before looking straight ahead. The Vulcan doctor folded her hands while letting her arms hang in front of her. "I will take that as a yes. At least you're quiet, nice change of pace from before."

"Well, considering how many times I wretched in Sick Bay, I would say 'yes', I'm feeling so much better. However, being that this seems to be the ship of the psychic misfits of tomorrow, I don't really know what to say. How many humans are there on board? I would hope at least a third." Sebastian muttered as they continued to walk along the hallway, "Has the Commander boarded the ship yet?"

"No, not yet. According to the computer, he should be arriving shortly. Starfleet Command was holding him for a bit and Icarus is a state-of-the-art Galaxy class vessel, made to travel at Warp 6, so as you can see Chief Emzat has a lot of work to do and a lot of work ahead of him." Lareil avoided the gaze of other lower ranking officers as Sebastian held up a pathetic smile, "You know, Sebastian, you don't always have to be so diplomatic all the time. You can speak candidly around me."

"Well, Doctor-"

"You may call me Lareil, if you wish."

"Well, I don't. Doctor, I've already voiced enough of my opinions about this ship, about this mission, and about our commander. It is my duty to serve as the Commander's Chief Counselor and as the voice of reason and peace for Starfleet. I know the Prime Directive like the back of my hand and I'm willing to help build community for Icarus. It's a beautiful vessel and it will be my home," Sebastian forced the words out. Starfleet words. Less human than a real human. He avoided her gaze, folded his arms against his chest, and paid attention to the sound of his boots against the floor.

"That sounds fair enough to me…" They walked in silence for a bit before Lareil glanced over, "Do you mind if I ask you a question, Ensign?"

"Hasn't stopped you before, Lieutenant."

"What was it like to grow up the son of a Lieutenant?"

"Specifically my mother, you mean?"

"Yes."

Sebastian paused for a second, looked into the Vulcan Doctor's chestnut eyes and smirked, "It was very difficult having a mother who led one of the most successful Starfleet missions in all of history. What she did for the sake of the galaxy is nothing short of heroic to me. It's hard to live up to her expectations. I never would have imagined that I'd have fallen so short," For a moment he caught the bubble that had been building up in the back of his throat. He took a step away from her, dropped his arms, lowered his head.

"It's alright to be emotional on your first mission. It happens, I suppose."

He rubbed his eyes quickly, lifted his head as if nothing had happened, "Not when you're Kathryn Janeway's son." There wasn't malice there, no ill will towards his mother. If anything, he was grateful for this opportunity, to finally be able to walk in his mother's footsteps for Starfleet. He had to remind himself that his mother was not born a Lieutenant Admiral, she had to earn her stripes as well. "I find myself missing her more than anything. In my mind, I always think 'how would mother handle that' or 'is she proud' of me as I throw up my waffle all over your Sick Bay and have to watch your holographic nurses clean it up."

"When I was seven, I was betrothed to the son of a Vulcan tradesman and I was forced into _pon farr_. My father fought with me constantly and said there was no place for a Vulcan woman scientist, especially in an industry so dominantly governed by men. I pleaded with him so that I would not have to go through with the wedding…" Lareil paused a moment, lost in thought. She glanced over at Sebastian who just stood there, listening intently. He frowned for a moment and nodded his head as if to say 'continue', "I spoke to my mother about it and she said that her hands were tied."

"My mother never married. She always said that Starfleet was her first love and that my father was lost in a mission on the USS Alexandria. I've always asked her for his name but she explained that dwelling on someone long gone in the galaxy is not the way to mourn a Starfleet captain." Sebastian could feel the bonding growing, the trust that he was earning, and he smiled, "I don't like to talk about sad things too much, to be honest, Lieutenant, we're starting off our mission with worries."

"I thought we were sharing. To build trust." Lareil commented as they passed by a rag-tag group of Engineers equipped with Tricorders and PADDs. "You seem to be very guarded."

"I'm actually starving. Is there time to eat an omelette before we head out? It seems that this launch is taking a little longer than usual," Sebastian pulled out his own Tricorder, plugged in his access code, "Chief Commander is still in Starfleet but his log says he should be arriving by 0'1200."

"I would prefer to get back to Sick Bay."

"Lieutenant Shuhnahd! How are ya?!" A young man came out from one of the sliding doors, tall, dusky blonde hair, human. He had to be at the very least in his early thirties, strong, with a goofy smile. "You ready to light this 'bad boy' on fire?!" He was followed by a woman who looked like some cross between Talaxian with a long mane of white hair starting right at the tip of her forehead and trailing down to her back, the typical Talaxian red and yellow markings without the jagged teeth.

"I'm well, Chief Hunter, and yourself?" Lareil nodded her head to the other human, "I was just showing Ensign Janeway the Icarus. It's his first mission and he'll be joining us at the helm."

"Ensign Janeway?! Like Kathryn Janeway's kid? I didn't know she had a kid! Did you know she had a kid, Rexyn?" He turned over to face the Talaxian hybrid.

"Yes, I did."

"How?"

"Because I read his personnel file before we boarded the Icarus, which you probably should have done as well as the Chief Science Officer.

"You're Talaxian and Aenarian, aren't you? That's how you're able to see but you've been around the blind. You can tell in your tone of voice, very cautious, caring, with a twinge of 'Talaxian festive fun' right at the top of your cadence," Sebastian said with a little smirk before making eye contact with the Lieutenant Doctor, "I'm Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer, Sebastian Janeway. You can call me 'Bastian', for short."

"Nice to meet you, Bastian," The blonde man shook his hand with much fervor, enough to make Sebastian wince through a pained smile, "Chief Science Officer, Nathaniel Hunter, 'Nate' around these parts and this is my lady friend."

"If by lady friend you mean your ranking officer, than I would definitely be her. Captain Weapons Officer, Level 6 Access, Rexyn. You may call me 'Captain', Ensign Janeway."

"So, that's it for the officers at the helm, I think. It's you, me, the Betafreak, Vulcan girl, Ms. Rexyn, and our lovely Borg commander," Nathaniel commented as they all stood huddled in the middle of deck three, "Are you guys ready for this doomsday mission?"

"Thank you! Thank you! At least one person on board think this is a suicide mission and isn't just me," Sebastian commented out loud.

"Lower your voice, please, Ensign. We don't need anyone to get their feathers ruffled over this," Rexyn commented, adjusted her red and orange Starfleet uniform. It hugged at her slender waist, and her boots were more of a military combat, "And, Nathaniel, this is not a suicide mission. We are going to rescue a covert Starfleet operative in The Chute, which means, that away teams will be needing your full attention."

"Yeah, and you wanna know what else is crummy?-"

"Not really, Nathaniel," Lareil commented as they continued their walk. She pulled out her Tricorder while Rexyn took out a PADD. Sebastian set his tricorder in his belt holster, folded his arms, and listened as they conversed, "Ensign, your sleeves, please."

"Fine, mom." He grumbled as he undid his sleeves, clasped them at the wrist, per the Starfleet directive.

"No, this is my time to complain about this stupid mission. Doesn't anyone think that the Chief Science Officer, who is messing with Borg Technology should be the first person to lead the away team, since I worked on this for years with drone scientists released from the Collective! The Icarus is my baby and I can't even go and support the troops that are going to die to save one person! Is the one life worth all of this Borg technology on a ship? I have no freakin' idea! Not a clue!" Nathaniel vented as they continued to make their way through the ship's decks, "No one's even visited The Holodeck, yet!"

"That's because the Holodeck is made for vacation and right now we should be gearing up for this rescue mission." Rexyn commented as she glared at one of the Cardassian ensigns who scurried off through another Hallway while the officers made their way through

"No, it's because all of you psychic freaks are on board now and the humans have to deal with you," Nathaniel said dryly, "Hey Bastian, what does the Prime Directive say about psychic species aboard Starfleet vessels?"

"Umm, I don't think it says much. The reality is, is that being 'psychic' is paranormal to humans but it's a part of their everyday life. Humans were introduced to psychic phenomena by Houdini, great magicians of the day. Imagine being a Vulcan who didn't know that there species out there who weren't psychic, that's paranormal to them."

"Very… diplomatic of you, Ensign." Rexyn commented with a smirk. For the first time they made eye contact and she smiled a bit. Bastian sort of shrugged, ran his hands against his bald head, and put his hands at his side, "Anyway, I'm not telepathic. The half Talaxian cancelled it out, genetically speaking."

"That sounds like a load of bull crap to me. Bulll… C-uh-rap. Let's see what you can do, Rexyn."

"I don't think this is how we should be spending our time," Lareil commented as they passed through another corridor on Deck 3.

"It's okay, Lieutenant Shuhnahd, you should see this, as this well be affected by space travel as well," Renyx commented, her pale blue skin glowing underneath the Starfleet issued lights. She placed her hand at right, palm facing forward to motion 'stop'. The other officers fell back in line behind her. The hybrid Talaxian-Aenarian Weapons Officer's skin glowed blue for a second and in a burst of light, a shadow-esque twin form burst from her chest, ran through the corridor in a flash while she stayed in almost coma-like state. In an instant, the shadow-like form returned back and lunged back into her body through her chest. The cerulean glow faded and she lifted her head.

"That was…" Sebastian commented, "Unreal."

"Freaky." Nathaniel replied, almost at the same time.

"I'm able to project a twin-like form, while I'm in a comatose-'esque' state. I don't know how this will grow once we start to move into space, but it's great for scouting missions. The form can also attach itself onto other species, kind of like a host, while I extract information."

"You're a spy…" Sebastian commented.

"Something like that."

"While all of this display of prowess is fascinating, none of you were checking your Tricorders. Admiral Romul of Twelve is making his way towards the Icarus and Commander Emzat wants us to meet him in Engineering so we can walk up to the helm together."

"Admiral Romul of Twelve, since when?" Nathaniel scoffed.

"Since Starfleet gave him the charge twenty minutes ago." Lareil said, curtly.

"I thought he was only General Romul of Twelve," Sebastian mused aloud.

"Well, then we better get going," Rexyn said, running an icy blue hand through her white mane.

"I still agree with Chief Hunter that this is a suicide mission." Sebastian muttered.

"Suicide or not. For Starfleet." Rexyn replied.

"For Starfleet," Nathaniel grumbled.

* * *

 **Captain's Log -** Hey guys, hope you enjoy. Those are pretty much the story regulars with a few surprises. I really enjoyed this chapter, it was emotional, it was fluffy, we've gotten through some plot heavy stuff. This is turning out to be one of my favorite ways to spend time, just working on this story for you guys to enjoy. Please comment, please share, follow. Would love to get your thoughts. All the best, Danny.

 **Update -** Didn't do any proofreading, just wanted to get it up. Oof.

 **Pronunciation Key -**

 **Sebastian 'Bastian' Andrew Janeway -** Standard American Pronunciation

 **Lareil Narim Shuhnahd -** Lah-reel Nah-reem Shoo-nahd

 **Ren Emzat -** Rehn Ehmzaht

 **Nathaniel Hunter -** Standard American Pronunciation

 **Rexyn** \- Rehksin

 **Romul of Twelve** \- Rah-mool


	5. Chapter 5: The Engineering Room

**Chapter 5**

 **The Engineering Room**

 **Stardate - 2443**

 **The Engineering Room**

The doors of the engineering room slid open and Sebastian cocked his head up at the huge two-level chamber, complete with a dual level walkway. Tricorders were at the ready of the senior officers as well as the lower ranking officers who bustled in and out of the Engineering Room. For a moment, Sebastian paused his racing mind and smiled. The realization of being an ensign among the senior officers in the Engineering Room filled his cheeks with warmth.

"Ensign?" The Vulcan Lieutenant Doctor, Lareil Shunahd, leaned into him and whispered.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he said, almost in a trance.

"You're blushing."

"No, I'm not." Sebastian said, touching his flushed cheeks.

"You are blushing! What's going on, Bastian?" Chief Science Officer, Nathaniel Hunter said with a huge grin, "You feeling a little big for your britches there, my friend?" Nathaniel let out a laugh that ripped through the chambers of the Engineering Room. The other officers all stopped to see the entire helm crew standing in Engineering. Even the Chief Commander Engineer, Ren Emzad, paused to look down over a beam at Nathaniel with a scowl.

"There you go causing scenes, Nate." Captain Rexyn, the Weapons Officer of the USS Icarus remarked, stiffening up her spine. She was imposing and beautiful, more Aenarian than Talaxian, more tough than welcoming. Her eyebrow arched at the Science Officer and she pursed her lips in disapproval. "Maybe you need to take this as serious as Sebastian is." And with that, she took a step forward into the Engineering while Ren climbed down one of the ladders to meet his co-officers.

"Just for the record, I was not blushing. I have fears and being in an Engineering Room with a warp core filled with Borg nanotechnology. It's going to leave a faint Borg trail in space. Someone will be able to pick up a Borg trail. It actually makes us sitting ducks," Sebastian said as he folded his arms against his chest and with that he inched in towards the Vulcan Lieutenant, who remained silent. He looked at her for a moment but her gaze was fixed on the vast room, the officers in and out. Sebastian admired the mystery for a moment, wishing that he could control his human impulses the way that Vulcans could. There would be no need for emotions, for pain, for stress. Just facts. No heart.

"What's up, Beta-nerd?" Nathaniel said with a big smile as he stuck out his hand to Ren Emzad, the empathic Betazoid, in touch with the feelings of other species. Commander Emzad blinked four times, his frown not disappearing, "Come on, you know I was kidding, Ren. I helped you build this. We worked on this for months, together. Don't you think I have the right to see my baby? We gave birth to her together! Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes, she is beautiful. And you seem to be in a very good mood there, Nate," Ren said, finally taking his hand, shaking it once, then setting his hand at his side. He nodded to the other helm officers, "Are you ready for Admiral Romul of Twelve's arrival? We should make our way to the helm very soon. All systems are a 'go' here in Engineering."

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Sebastian grumbled, unhooking his arms and letting them drop to his side, "This is going to be the best mission ever." He rolled his eyes and turned his back to leave.

"I have a question, Commander Emzat, before we leave to the main helm." Captain Rexyn, "As an Aerian capable of sending out a 'psychic scout' out while I'm in a trance-like state, could I penetrate the forcefield to the warp core and wind up at that station on that second floor walk-way?"

"Was that a question or a Shakespearean aside?" Sebastian enquired out loud to which Nathaniel laughed obnoxiously while Rexyn just glared. Lareil smirked smugly while Ren smiled at the Ensign.

"Well, the way that the Borg nanotechnology works in conjunction with the deuterium is that helps to stop overcooling process by slowing down the heating process, so once the Borg technology got a hold of your 'twin self', it would be frozen inside. You'd probably die," Ren matter-of-factly stated to the Talaxian-Aenarian hybrid, "I wouldn't risk it if I were you."

"There is something to be said about this Borg Trail, though. We are leaving a Borg fingerprint from our energy emissions. Don't you think that's going to raise a red flag when we enter subspace? And are the Borg aware of this? I mean, they have to be. We've had Borg drones that have turned out to be spies and their programming sets back in on a timer of a couple of years and they're off to report to The Collective. That's happened at least a handful of times," Nathaniel commented with an almost petulant whine at the top of his voice. Sebastian picked up on this and gave a quizzical look. Nathaniel was handsome, he was smart, he was a lot of talk.

Geek. That was the only answer that Sebastian could come up with. Perhaps he was not the best fighter but his brain for science must be extraordinary was all that Bastian could figure from his voice. Ren's gaze tightened on Sebastian for a second and their eyes locked, Sebastian immediately looked away, unsure if the Betazoid was telling the truth about his telepathy. In a ship filled with psychic class species, one could not be too careful.

"As the Weapons Captain, do you see any reasoning behind this?" The Lieutenant Doctor asked of Rexyn, who was lost in her own thoughts about the warp core.

"Strategically speaking? I guess it makes sense. If another ship picks up on a Borg signal, they might not be so willing to engage in combat especially if this mission is for peace. Then again, knowing that the Akritirians keep their prisoners in that chute doesn't exactly make me feel like they're the most peaceful of peoples." Rexyn said, shifting in her Starfleet boots to walk closer to the chamber of the warp core, admiring the pale turquoise glow emanating from its case.

"Regardless, we can't interfere. How the Akritirians choose to handle their penal system is up to them. We are not allowed to dictate how they handle their prisoners. It is very common in many species' culture for physical punishment for their crimes. As inhumane as it sounds, even early humans were subjected to physical torture in order to extract information. That's why Starfleet makes sure to train all of its cadet on how to handle a hostage crisis on both sides of the fence," Sebastian said with some pride. At times, it felt good to be the expert on the topic at hand. It gave him a sense of belonging amongst the higher ranking officials of the Icarus.

"It's savagery. To make your prisoners fight in an isolated vessel, have them bathe in their own filth without giving them the chance at a pardon is barbaric," Rexyn said, eying a Klingon cadet with malice in her eyes before turning back to the group.

"Sounds like heaven to me," Nathaniel jested, "I'd be able to show those guys what I'm really made of then."

"You wouldn't last a minute. You failed hand-to-hand combat at the Academy." Rexyn said with a scoff.

"So what?"

"Twice!"

"So what? The minute that I put my hand on a phaser, everyone wants to be my best friend!"

"That's because they're afraid you're going to take an eye out."

"I feel as though we are all going to be late for Admiral Romul of Twelve's arrival to the helm if we do not hurry. He is set to arrive in another thirty minutes," the Lieutenant Doctor's voice cut through the squabble.

"Oh great, here we go to meet our doom," Nathaniel mumbled.

"Cheer up, soldier," Rexyn said, giving him a hard pat on the back before walking through the group and out of the engineering room doors.

"Can you report her, please? For abuse, Lieutenant?" Nathaniel said as his right hand reached over his shoulder to rub the spot she had hit.

"I saw nothing, Chief Hunter," Lareil said with a quirked brow and a shaking head as she followed the weapons officer out, followed by Nathaniel, who left with his head bowed.

"So, how sure are you that this is going to work?" Sebastian said to Ren, who were the last two standing by the doors.

"I don't really know. You humans say an interesting thing. 'Cross your fingers', right?" Ren asked, his gaze unmoving from Sebastian's own dark green eyes. A half smile on Commander Emzad's face made a drop of sweat form on Sebastian's brow. He quickly brushed it off and then ran his hands down his warm, bald head.

"You forgot the worst part of that phrase," Sebastian reminded him, "Cross your heart, hope to die, there's a needle getting stuck in someone's eye. It's awful. Doesn't come highly recommended." Sebastian laughed a little too loud, nervously.

"You seem…"

"What?"

"A lot calmer, I'm noticing." Commander Emzad remarked as he examined the ensign from head to toe then brushed his hands through his raven hued hair.

"Yeah, I mean, once we meet the Admiral, anything can happen."

"Can I give you a word of advice, Bastian? Can I call you Bastian, now?"

"Sure, why not? Chief Hunter already does," Sebastian said with a resigned shrug.

"Talk… less," Ren said with a small smirk before passing the Ensign and following the group out.

"Wait for me!" Sebastian cried out before turning on the heel of his boot and breaking out into a sprint right out of the Engineering Room to follow his fellow officers to the helm of the Icarus.


End file.
